Product Reviews

Official Marilyn Monroe Dog Dresses (review3 of 3)

When it came to panache, when it came to pure looks and sex appeal, few women had as much going for them as Marilyn Monroe. Even now, more than 40 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognized icons in North America. (Except for Merry. Going to be more famous. One day. You watch.)

And now your princess can get a little bit of her very own Marilyn glam with a series of dog dresses - evening gowns, actually - designed by The Pink Hotdog, and modeled after dresses the famous blonde herself wore both in public and in film. Yes, that's right folks - officially licensed Marilyn Monroe clothing for pets. Read our feature article this month to learn more about the history of the collection.

What's more, the crazy, generous folks at The Pink Hotdog sent along not one, not two, but the entire six-dress collection to be modeled and reviewed by our own famous princess pug, Merry.

The collection is just too large and detailed to review in one sitting, so we'll be reviewing two gowns a month for the next three months.

This month's gowns: Happy Birthday, Mr. Fido (modeled after the dress Marilyn wore to infamously sing "Happy Birthday" to John F. Kennedy in May 1962) and the Bowerina Dog Dress (from the famous last shot of Marilyn from the unfinished movie Something's Gotta Give).

How do we even begin to describe these gowns? We'll be honest, folks - in all of our years of reviewing we've never seen the like. Not just in terms of quality but in terms of overall look & feel, packaging, the works - these dresses are the top of the heap.

The Happy Birthday dog gown is actually a two-piece set. The dress is a strapped gown (the strap fastens with velcro at the chest) that pleats and folds over the tail. The gown is made from a poly/cotton fabric that drapes well and is covered with hundreds of tiny silver sparkles (see photo #3 for detail). The style hugs the body beautifully - it fit Merry like a dream - and rides low on the hips. When standing, the dress doesn't quite touch the floor but it does hang low and over the tail. The fur is an actual faux fur stole with an old-fashioned hook just like the ones your mom (or you) used to wear in the 60's. It drapes over the shoulders nicely and hides the straps of the gown.

The original dress it was modeled after - we feel compelled to share our Marilyn trivia - was purchased for $12,000 by Marilyn herself, and sold at auction in the '90s for over $1 million. This one will seem like a bargain by comparison, but it's no less luxurious!

The Bowerina dog dress is a simpler design but somehow even more appealing for its simplicity. Styled very simply, with a wide scoop neck and back, fitted bodice and full skirt, this dress is made from a deliciously rich white satin and the full skirt is lined with two full layers of tulle. In addition, the entire dress is lined. The dress fastens under the belly with a long line of velcro. Be warned that due to a combination of the design of this dress, and the satin (which will not stretch), this is a much closer-fitting dress. Merry's barrel-style pug chest was a bit too much for the dress, so she can only do hers up about halfway. If you have a pug and want a real Marilyn dress, we suggest you try one of the other styles. :) But for a less barrel-chested breed this dress would fit like a dream!

It's honestly one of the cutest dog dresses in the collection. We really loved both the style and the fabrics used on this piece. It has a simple understated elegance that would also make it perfect as a wedding or bridesmaid's dress for furkids with upcoming doggie weddings.

The Bowerina dress is a little shorter skirt length, which makes it more practical for long wearings, but it is a very full skirt indeed - you still might want to consider undressing before walkies.

The packaging for these gowns is nothing short of divine. Most dresses have silk loops inside to help secure them on their hangers. Each dress comes in a see-through, zipped up, heavy weight frosted plastic garment bag complete with official Marilyn Monroe signature across the front. The bag is resealable so that the dress can stay in the closet, protected, as an heirloom for years to come.

How many paws can we possibly put up for these dresses? Honestly, the attention to detail and design work is exquisite and is probably of the highest caliber we've ever seen. We literally can't say enough good things about them. If you're looking for incredible dresses, costumes, wedding wear, or just a piece of history for your pooch, look no further. The Pink Hotdog has exactly what you need.

Stay tuned - we'll be reviewing two more dresses in our March 2007 issue and the final two gowns in April 2007!

You can find out more about The Pink Hotdog from their web site at www.thepinkHotdog.com.